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Service Slants

Over 10,000 solutions to service concerns based on OEM TSBs covering over 25 years of domestic and imported cars, light trucks, and vans. Search By Vehicle, System, Or Symptom!

Jeep

Noise from front of vehicle. Some 2002 Liberty SUVs built prior to 8/31/01 may produce a creaking or popping sound from the front end under low-speed braking or during parking maneuvers. One likely cause of the noise, reports Jeep, is the left corner of the lower skid plate making contact with the crossmember, in the area near the front control arm bolt. Repositioning or replacing the skid plate should eliminate the noise.
To determine which you’ll need to do, begin by putting the truck up on a lift. Next, loosen the four skid plate attaching bolts. Now slide the plate as far to the right side of the vehicle as possible, hold it there, and snug the four bolts. Using the illustration at right for reference, measure the clearance between the left corner of the skid plate and the crossmember. If the clearance is 1⁄8 in. or more, tighten the skid plate attaching bolts to 45 ft.-lbs. and the fix is complete. If the clearance is less than 1⁄8 in., the skid plate is bent or deformed. Replace it with a new-design unit—Part No. 52128539AC for 3.7L engines, 52128540AC for 2.4 and 2.5L engines. After the new skid plate is installed, make sure it’s positioned as far to the right side as possible before torquing the attaching bolts to spec.

Ford Truck

Rattling noise from rear of vehicle. Owners of 2004-05 and 2007-08 Explorer Sport Trac SUVs, 2004-08 F-Super Duty and F-150 pickups and 2006-08 Lincoln Mark LT pickup trucks may come into your shop with a complaint of an irritating rattling sound from the rear of the truck, in the vicinity of the tailgate.
Ford says the noise occurs most frequently on vehicles subjected to rough roads and/or frequent off-road use, and is most likely due to a worn tailgate striker sleeve. Replacing the striker with an updated design with a beefier sleeve should put an end to the annoyance. Order Part No. 7A2Z-99404A42-A for Sport Tracs, 1L3Z-99404A42-AA for the pickups.Note: After installing the new-design striker, align it up/down and in/out until it’s perfectly flush with the latch. Then torque the retaining bolt to 30 ft.-lbs.

GM

Slips or won’t engage Reverse. Some 1999 2.2L Chevy Cavaliers and Pontiac Sunfires with the 3T40 transaxle built before 4/9/99 may slip when shifted into Reverse, or may not engage Reverse at all. One likely cause for the difficulties, says GM, is an oversized low/reverse clutch piston that sticks or hangs up in the clutch housing bore. This restricts travel, which leads to the slippage or total loss of Reverse.
To make the diagnosis, you’ll have to open the transmission case and measure the outside diameter of the low/reverse piston. The diameter shouldn’t be more than 5.346 in. If it’s within this spec, continue looking for the source of the shift difficulties. If it’s not, replace the piston with a revised unit, Part No. 08666659.

Mini

Low power, MIL illuminated, DTC stored. Some 2002-05 Cooper S models with the W11 supercharged engine may lose power on acceleration. According to the folks at Mini, the low power complaint will most likely be accompanied by an illuminated MIL, with DTC P1688 stored in PCM memory. The carmaker attributes the problem to one of three scenarios: intake air leaks, out-of-whack output voltage from one or both MAP sensors or a sticking bypass valve at the supercharger.
Start your diagnosis by giving the entire air intake system a good once-over, including leak checks at the throttle body, supercharger, intercooler and lines and the intake manifold. If you find a leak, make the repair, wipe out the trouble code, then take to the road to make sure the MIL stays off.
If there are no obvious intake leaks, check the MAP sensor output voltages per a manual or your repair information system. Replace one or both sensors as required.
If the air intake system is good and tight and the MAP sensors are functioning properly, chances are the supercharger’s bypass valve is binding up. To make a definitive diagnosis, disconnect the vacuum line at the valve and connect a hand-held vacuum pump to the valve’s port. Now pump up the vacuum and observe the movement of the valve. If it sticks or binds, replace the bypass valve with an improved version (Part No. 11 61 1 501 937).

Saab

Air bag light illuminated on dash, DTC stored. The owner of a 2006-07 9-7X model may come into your shop complaining of an illuminated air bag light. When he does, hook up your scanner and immediately start checking for codes from the SRS system. According to Saab, if the only code you pull is DTC 023, there’s a good chance the right seat belt tension sensor has gone kaput.
To make a definitive diagnosis, check the wiring to the tension sensor for cuts, shorts or chafing. If everything looks good, the sensor itself is the most likely culprit. Replacing the entire right seat belt retractor (the tension sensor is part of the retractor and not available separately) should restore order to the SRS system.

Toyota

Wet carpeting in passenger-side footwell. Owners of 2003-05 ECHO models may complain of damp or wet carpeting in the passenger-side footwell. According to Toyota, the problem typically occurs with the a/c on, and is most likely due to the evaporator drain hose falling off the drain tube. Installing a special clamp (Part No. 88899-52150) onto the hose should hold it in place.
Before ordering the clamp, get under the glove box and inspect the drain hose. If it’s still on the tube, this information doesn’t apply; continue searching for the source of the leak. If the hose is disconnected from the tube, install the clamp, making sure it’s about 1⁄8 in. from the end of the hose. Now push the hose onto the drain tube far enough so the clamp engages the tube. To complete the repair, release the holding clip on the clamp, then start the engine, turn the air conditioning system on and check for leaks.

Chrysler

Excessive cranking time on start-up. Some owners of 2008 Magnum, Charger and 300 models with the 5.7L V8 engine may complain that the vehicle takes an excessively long time to start after turning the key. If the ignition and fuel systems appear to be functioning normally, the MIL is off and there are no DTCs stored in computer memory, chances are the crank synchronization algorithm in the PCM is causing the starting difficulties, reports Chrysler. Reprogram-ming the module with updated software is the only reliable fix.
To do the flash, you’ll need a StarSCAN scan tool operating at release 9.01 or higher. The actual calibration files can be retrieved directly off Chrysler’s site on the internet. After the reprogramming job is complete, don’t forget to fill out an Authorized Modification Label and affix it near the VECI label.

GM Truck

Inoperative blower motor. The blower motor on some 2007-08 Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra extended cab and crew cab models built before 4/1/08 may fail to operate. If the fuse is good and the circuit up to the motor has power, says GM, the motor has probably failed. Water intrusion is the likely villain. Installing an upgraded blower motor with a new-design moisture shield (Part No. 25973845) should prevent further trouble.

Acura

Hesitation or stall at low speeds. All 2000-01 3.5RL vehicles, as well as those 2002 models built from VIN JH4KA9....2C000001 through JH4KA9....2C009442, may occasionally hesitate or stall on light-throttle tip-in from a slow crawl. According to Acura, if the MIL is off and there are no DTCs stored, the problem is most likely the result of software conflicts in the PCM. Replacing the module with a revised unit with updated calibration files is the fix. Order Part No. 37820-P5A-308 for 2000-01 cars, 37820-P5A-A37 for 2002 models.

Mitsubishi

Drive belt noise. Some 2006 3.7L Raider pickups may produce a chirping sound from the drive belt. Mitsubishi says the noise is most obvious when the vehicle is moving slowly with the steering wheel at full lock, and is most likely the result of the drive belt slipping on the alternator pulley. Installing an upgraded alternator pulley with a built-in overrunning clutch (Part No. 05170529AA) should prevent further slippage and eliminate the chirping noise.
Start the repair by disconnecting the battery ground cable and removing all the wiring from the alternator. Next, remove the two horizontal mounting bolts and the one vertical bolt and remove the alternator from the vehicle. Remove the old pulley from the alternator and toss it.
Continue the job by installing the new pulley onto the alternator, making sure there’s sufficient space between it and the alternator housing. Use enough spacers (Part No. 05170528AA) behind the pulley to provide the necessary clearance. Now install the pulley mounting bolt and torque it to 40 ft.-lbs. Reinstall the insulator cap onto the pulley, if so equipped. Next, install the alternator into the truck. Torque the long horizontal and vertical bolts to 40 ft.-lbs., and the short horizontal bolt to 55 ft.-lbs. Reconnect the wiring at the alternator. To complete the fix, install the drive belt, reconnect the battery cable, start the engine and check that the drive belt and all pulleys are aligned. If they’re not, add or subtract spacers as required.

Nissan

Coolant leak. Some 2000-02 Frontier pickup trucks and Xterra SUVs with the VG33E V6 engine may produce a coolant leak from the front of the engine. One likely area of the leak, says Nissan, is the interface between the intake manifold and water outlet housing. Swapping in a new-design fiber gasket (Part No. 11062-9Z000) between the manifold and housing should eliminate further leakage issues.
Note: Before installing the gasket, make sure all the old sealer on the flanges of the manifold and outlet housing is completely removed. After the gasket is installed, torque the outlet housing attaching bolts to 12 to 15 ft.-lbs.

Subaru

Power steering noise. Owners of 2000-02 Legacy sedan and wagon and Outback models with the 2.5L engine may complain of an irritating groaning sound from the power steering system and/or a vibration that sets up through the steering wheel while turning at low speeds. One likely cause of the noise, reports Subaru, is a defective high- pressure power steering hose. Installing an updated hose (Part No. 34610AE09B) should quiet things down.
Before swapping in the new hose, however, try removing the retaining clamps and bolts from the existing high-pressure hose to see if that reduces or eliminates the groaning noise. If it does, leave the clamps off and return the vehicle to the driver. If the noise persists, replace the steering hose with the new-design part, leaving the retaining clamps off. If the steering problem(s) continue after installing the new high-pressure hose, replace the steering pump.